ZxS Drabbles
by Verum
Summary: A collection of one shots witht the pairing of ZS. And you can guess what that means, you guessed it, yaoi. If you don't like it then don't read it. Rated for safety really, I don't do much in the way of gruesome details.
1. Hidden Talent

1V: Honestly I don't know where the idea for this snippet came from... I was just walking along and BOOM it hit me. It may not be the greatest story, but I thought it was cute, and worth the time to write out. I would really like to know what you think though, so be sure to R+R. Oh, and one more thing, I DO NOT OWN ONE PIECE!!!

**Hidden Talent**

Zoro sat at the kitchen table, his eyes fixed on a nondescript spot on the floor. It was too quiet, if only the damn cook would say something... but no, it had been a whole five minutes and the kuso- cook had yet to say anything. Zoro stole a glance at the cook, failing to catch the blond's eye he turned his gaze back to the floor.

Sanji, meanwhile, was at the stove, staring as if hypnotized by the pot he held. Oblivious to all else, especially the awkward silence that now hung heavily in the room, he continued to gaze unblinkingly at the contents of the pot.

The seconds streatched into agonizing minutes, and just when Zoro thought he was about to go insane, Sanji broke the silence.

"You burnt it..." The words came out in little more than a whisper, and Sanji's eyes never left the pot.

At this Zoro's head snapped up. "Well this was the first time I've tried to cook anything eyebrow," Zoro spat with more venom then he had originally intended, but Sanji did not even flinch and so he continued, "something was bound to burn."

Silence was allowed to occupy the air once more, and Sanji looked up from the pot to stare wide eyed at Zoro.

"But it was _water_, you burned _water_..." Sanji choked out, looking from Zoro to the pot and back to Zoro.

V: Okay, I know it's short, and definitely not the greatest ever written, but it was about all I could come up with without dragging out the whole thing... tell me what you thought, thanks.


	2. TeddyBear

1V: Okay here is more of my meaningless babble. Tell me what you think. Oh yeah, this has heavy yaoi implications, so if you don't like the concept to M/M then don't read, and I DO NOT OWN ONE PIECE!!

Sanji The Teddy-bear

Zoro liked to cuddle. It was a concept that had knocked Sanji for a loop, rightly so, the first time the green haired swordsmen had wrapped his arms around the cook, impeding all attempts to finish dinner on time.

Normally Zoro reached his clingy peak after some strenuous ahem physical activity. After being attacked, once more, by either the marines or some new haughty foe. Zoro would wait until both Sanji and himself had been treated for their wounds, and then proceed to drag the love cook off to a quiet spot on the ship. It was as if after taking so many lives, Zoro had to have a beating heart near him as a form of reassurance.

However, there had been no marines that day, and so the physical exertion had been of a _ very_ different nature. Zoro had fallen asleep soon after, the blonde secure in the circle of his arms. Now Sanji normally didn't mind, but he was next for watch, and the swordsmen was not betraying any sings that he was about to relinquish his hold.

After a few strenuous minutes of trying to beak out of Zoro's arms, and a few sleep laden protests from the swordsman himself, Sanji had managed to free himself from Zoro's grasp. He sleepily pulled on his jacket and, quietly as he could, opened the door and stepped out onto the deck.

The night was anything but still. A vicious wind was turning the sea into a stage of dancing white caps, forcing an unsightly amount of water onto the deck of the Merry Go. Ussop, meanwhile, clung to the edge of the crows nest for dear life.

Sanji took a minute to take in the bleakness of the night, then looked back to the sleeping swordsman behind him. After a second of weighing the options, Sanji closed the door. Drawing Zoro's arms around him once more, Sanji decided that Ussop could survive another fifteen minutes.


	3. Happy Birthday Love

1V: Okay... here is more... stuff... '_Thoughts'_ "Speaking" DON'T OWN ONE PIECE!

Happy Birthday Love

For Zoro the morning began with a yawn. He ran a calloused hand through the mess of green fuzz that graced his head and swung out of his hammock. Closing the door to the boy's dorm soundlessly, he climbed the rope ladder to the crow's nest and indulged in the early morning silence.

The blood sun was cut in half by the horizon, causing the ocean's body to dance in a myriad of electric pastels. Thin strands of white snaked across the steadily deepening blue of the sky, their edges laced with a soft pink glow. There was a playful breeze that make the Jolly Roger dance over head, and the only sound to be heard was that of the waves playfully slapping into Merry Go. The day looked like it was going to be a seasonable one, nothing spectacular.

_'Nothing spectacular_...'Zoro repeated, a discernable tone of sarcasms lacing this thought. For any normal person in Zoro's position, they would have thought this day highly spectacular. But Zoro could hardly be considered anything in the realm of normal, especially as far as birthdays were concerned. As far as he was concerned all it meant was that yet another year of his life had slipped away, and his goal was still not accomplished. Understandably then, Zoro was in a rotten mood.

A door below him creaked, and Zoro stole a glance over the edge of the crows nest. As expected, Sanji was the cause. Zoro found himself wishing that for once the damned cook would just decide to sleep in for once.

Since they had formed something of a relationship in the past few months, Sanji had become highly observant of Zoro's mannerisms. So when the swordsman would rise early, the blonde would often follow, meaning that he knew all of Zoro's favorite sulking spots on the ship. And while he loved the cook more than words could possibly describe, he really did not want the company this morning.

Much to Zoro's surprise the blonde did not so much as glance in his direction, rather he made straight for the kitchen. Despite his want of solitude, Zoro had to admit he was a little off put by Sanji's actions.

_'Whatever,'_ thought Zoro bitterly, closing his eyes and drifting into a sulky sleep.

"ZOROOOOOO!" came the screech a few minutes later, followed by a thump as Luffy catapulted himself into the nest besides Zoro.

"What?" asked Zoro irritably, opening an eye to glare at his captain.

"Happy birthday!" exclaimed Luffy, his mouth expanded in a particularly goofy grin.

"Mm..." was all Zoro supplied.

Zoro's overall lack of excitement confused the captain greatly. "Sanji made cake!" said Luffy, as if Zoro's future happiness had waited on the arrival of this news.

When Zoro failed to respond, Luffy had decided that _seeing_ the cake would snap Zoro out of his obviously foul mood. So without skipping a beat, Luffy had swung Zoro over a shoulder and jumped down to the deck below.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!"

"Cake." said Luffy simply, and proceeded to carry the cursing swordsman into the kitchen.

"_Happy birthday Zoro!_" was the greeting they received upon entering the kitchen. Streamers of every annoyingly bright color hung from any available space, while pastel balloons rolled around excitedly on the floor, each supplying a tiny _thunk _when they happened to run into anything solid. But the most eye-catching of all was the giant, sea- green cake that sat in the middle of the kitchen table. Zoro stole a quick glance at Sanji, an eyebrow raised in question to the cake. The cook simply smiled, the color was for Zoro, but the size was to tranquilize the captain and assure at least a piece for the rest of them.

Luffy completed the task at hand when he carefully, well as careful as Luffy could be, dumped Zoro into the seat just in front of the monestrous confection. Fully pleased with himself Luffy made to take a lick of icing, and would have succeeded if not for the fingers that managed to catch his tongue.

"Nangiiiii..." whined Luffy, turning a look of pure misery upon the captor of his tongue.

"Not just yet," said Sanji ignoring the pitiful look altogether, and released the captains tongue, wiping his finger on the his pink apron. "Zoro still has presents to open," the cook explained further.

At this Luffy grinned and fished a small package out from under his hat. Still smiling goofily, he presented the package to Zoro.

It was all Zoro could do at that particular moment not to scream and beat them all senseless. He glared at Luffy's package as if it had just insulted him greatly, and after a moment of tense silence made to leave.

"And just where do you think you're going?" asked Nami, a severe tone of disapproval edging her voice.

"I'm gonna take a nap. If you haven't noticed I'm not exactly one for parties." was the sullen reply.

Meanwhile Luffy was being consoled by Ussop about Zoro's refusal to take the package.

"Fine." Said Nami, a sly smile split her face.

Zoro had heard that tone before, and it had never meant anything good...

"Then I'll just add the cost of all of this to the amount of what you already owe me, and with the previously discussed interest rate..." She fixed Zoro with a particularly icy glare, "you'll be lucky to pay me back even if you manage to reach the age of 135..."

Zoro glared, if it weren't for the fact that Nami was part of his nakama he probably would have killed her on the spot. Then his eyes fell on Luffy, and he kicked himself mentally, and took back his seat, accepting the gift from Luffy.

The wrapping job was nothing to complement, but it did its job. And a few seconds later a picture frame emerged from beneath the brightly colored wrapping. Of what the picture was Zoro could only guess. It screamed of Luffy's artistic talent with a crayon.

"Ummm... thanks?" was all Zoro could think to say.

"You like it? It's a picture of us see." and Luffy edged closer to Zoro, and began to point at, what looked to Zoro, like random blurs of color. "That's me once I'm pirate king, and over here is Nami with all of her maps, and Ussop beating off ninjas," Zoro could not hide the snicker that managed to escape him at this. "And then there's Sanji, he's cooking fish from all blue, and then there is you..."

"What's below me?"

Luffy smiled at this, "That's Mihawk, you beat him, and so you're the best swordsman now!"

Zoro swallowed, "Thanks Luffy..."

From Ussop Zoro got sword polish that the sharpshooter had concocted himself. And while Zoro appreciated the thought, he seriously doubted that he would ever use it, for fear that it might have some non too pleasant results. Nami's generous gift was to cut Zoro's debt in half, claiming that it was a far more costly sacrifice on her part as anything she would have bought for him would not have even come close to the cut sum. And so the time had finally arrived for Sanji's presentation.

It was as their eyes met that the green haired swordsman realized just how silent the cook had been. Slightly concerned at what this silence could mean Zoro removed the neatly folded paper until the round metallic gift sat in his palm. For a moment there was nothing but silence, the creak of the boat the only audible sound.

"It's a compass..." said Nami, her voice hardly more than a whisper.

The kitchen erupted in a gale of laughter, Zoro blushing slightly, and Sanji looking highly pleased with himself. It was while Luffy and Ussop were rolling on the ground in an incapacitating fit of laughter that Zoro decided he had, had enough, and left the kitchen in a huff.

Happy just to be outside Zoro made his way to the front of the ship and glared into the open sea. Of all the people he had expected to understand how he felt about today, Sanji would have been the one. He glared down at the compass still clutched in his fist. But no, the stupid euro- cook had to go and pull something like this.

Almost unwillingly, Zoro began a closer inspection of Sanji's gift. It was silver plated and small engravings ran across any available area, the most eye catching was the back decoration of the three swords crossed in to form a triangle. The face was an almost iridescent white that shimmered attractively when it managed to catch the sun, while loopy black letters indicated direction to the quivering needle. Really it was very attractive for a compass.

It was as his fingers ran over the outer edge that Zoro noticed a slight raise on the compass' skin. On closer inspection the tiny bump was a well hidden button, curious Zoro pushed it down. With a tiny metallic click, the compass' back popped open. Worried that he might have broken the gift he made to shut the tiny door, when something engraved on the back's interior sparked in the sun.

Cautiously, Zoro pulled the tiny metal door farther back and read:

_Soon to be first in the world,_

_Always first in my heart._

Zoro now lead his gaze into the interior of the secret compartment, and inside he found a tiny eternity pose. Below the tiny glass bubble the label read simply:_ Sanji_

How long he stood there he was not certain. How many times he read and re-read the engraving inside, he could not tell. It was not until the tiny needle of the eternity pose swivelled to his right, that Zoro bothered to look up.

Leaning against the side railing, casually puffing on the cigarette between his lips, Sanji scooted a little closer, so now their shoulders were touching. A heavy silence occupied the air, Zoro staring at the compass, Sanji staring straight ahead.

"You either get older... or you die..." said Sanji after a moment, neither man turning their gaze from the spots that occupied. "And between you and me crap- swordsman," he continued, now turning to face Zoro, "I'd rather you choose the first." And without waiting for a reply, the blonde leaned over and kissed the top of Zoro's ear and whispered, "Happy birthday love." and walked off towards the kitchen.

Zoro raised a hand to touch the ring of fire that Sanji's kiss had encouraged on his ear. He read the engraving one more time, and then closed the back with a tiny click. He watched Sanji disappear behind the kitchen door, and then followed after him. A small smile found it's way to his lips, he was still going to have to get the damn cook back for the compass jab, not to mention the coloring choice for the cake...

V: Hurrah! It's finished, for better or worse tell me what you thought. Oh and sorry for that one odd paragraph... really don't know what happened there... Oh! And if you have any ideas for full stories or snippets, feel free to share. Really right now I should be working on my other story... writer's block sucks...


	4. Masks

1V: No happiness in this bit, sorry... It's just been that kind of day...

Masks

Pain is a relative thing, as are the masks that we adorn to hide it.

For Zoro pain is a simple concept, it came from battle. It was the blow that slipped past his defenses, the draw of a blade across his skin. It was when his blood was set free from his body, tinging the earth below the darkened hue of a rose. It was when he could barely stand after a fight that any lesser being would have died from. Pain is physical, so his masks were his scars.

For Sanji, pain was far less elementary. It was when he watched as the swordsman fought, and saw his opponent draw a hit. When Zoro's blood decorated the ground, and the blonde could do nothing to stop its flow. It was when the strongest man the cook had ever known was leaning against him for support after surviving a fight that would have claimed a lesser life. Pain was standing on the sidelines, watching as Zoro fought and knowing that the swordsman's mind no longer registered anything beyond the battlefield. Pain is intangible, and so he masked it in smoke.

V: To be completely honest I don't really care much for this short... but it's been rainy all day... plus I'm sick... and so here we are... Like I said, it's just been that kind of day...


	5. The Dangers of Unimportant Secrets

1V: Never I repeat NEVER drink four shot of espresso in a row because of a bet, I'm still seeing things... I am five dollar's richer for it though. But that has nothing to do with the story below... It is _my _answer to the question of what is up with Sanji's left eye... enjoy.

The Danger of Unimportant Secrets

Sanji had fallen asleep hours ago. A look of absolute peace, that only sleep could bring, was spread across his face, his lips slightly parted in what could almost be a smile. A slow, calm breath whistled between his teeth, causing stray bits of golden hair to flutter out of place and then fall back, catching the silver of the moon as they did. Without waking thought to guide him, the cook wantonly squirmed closer to the warm body next to him, mumbling incoherently as he did so.

The form next to Sanji managed to pry his captive arm from the sandwich that their two bodies now formed, and wrapped it around the cook. Zoro, it seemed, was unlucky in the matters of sleep tonight, but hardly seemed to care. His emerald eyes betraying no sings of oncoming exhaustion, he stared fixedly at the blonde's sleeping face.

How was it, that after everything they had been through, after all the fights, that not once had the cook's shield of hair remove itself from its normal place? How was it that when the concept of personal space between the cook and the swordsman had been non-existent on so many occasions that what lay beyond the sheen of gold was never revealed to him? It was like Sanji was trying to keep it hidden. And while the concept would not have normally bugged the green haired swordsman, the fact that the cook was keeping it hidden from _him_ did.

Checking once more to make sure the cook was truly asleep, Zoro positioned himself for a better view. Cautiously, he moved the hand that was not at Sanji's side, and raised it to the cooks bangs, took a steading breath, and pulled back the curtain.

What he saw was... nothing... absolutely noting. There were no scars, no marks of any kind, the eyebrow was even the same. So if there were no markings on the skin, then perhaps the problem lay further beneath. Zoro carefully guided the fallen lid back up over the orb it covered, and was greeted by a blue iris. Unceremoniously, Zoro dropped the lid. There was absolutely nothing different about the left side of the cook's face, so why the hell did he hide it?

The smile that graced Zoro lips after discovering this, could be described as nothing less than demonic. Soon after small swishing noises whispered through the room as thin silken strands fell through the silver beams of the moon, and then disappeared into the shadowy depths below.

Zoro woke early that morning. Reaching the door to exit the men's cabin, he stole on last look at the still sleeping chef and, with a smirk, left the small room for the open crow's nest. It was as the sun broke free of the horizon that the consequences of the night's exploration came to full boil.

"What the hell?!?" was the indignant scream that broke the morning calm.

In the nest, Zoro had to work at keeping his humor confined to a smile.

The door to the men's cabin flew open, and a uniformly clipped Sanji stormed from the room. "Zoro! You are a DEAD man!" both eyes now free to endorse that promise.

"Hey Sanji..." began a barely conscious Luffy, emerging from the comforting shelter of the shadowed room. "You look different... is that a new shirt?"

Zoro took the moment to enjoy the pummeling Luffy was being granted at the cook's feet. Fully knowing that it was nothing compared to what the blonde was going to do to him when the time came. But for now, he was at full leisure to take in the absolute uniformity of his lover's face.

V: Not what you thought it was gonna be was it:) I though the idea of some sort of deformity had been played out to much, and so that did not leave me with many options. And I thought this was a more likely probability anyways. Loved it? Hated it? Indifferent? Go ahead and tell me, 'cause I'm gonna be up for quite some time now...


	6. Nuisance

1V: It wouldn't die. The darn story bunny just wouldn't die. And so here we are...

Nuisance

Zoro's last nerve was about to fizzle and die. He was sitting in the back corner of the latest local bar, watching as the love-cook lived up to his name. The blonde's jelly-legged, heart-eyed, confessions of undying love had actually managed to draw a large group of women. All of whom seemed to be as eager to coo over him as he was for them. Despite what one might think, none of this bothered the green-haired swordsman. It was annoying to be sure, but he knew that in the end it meant nothing.

No, it was not the ocean of women that now swarmed the blonde, it was the brunet that sat in the corner just opposite Zoro, whose eyes had not left the cook since they had entered the bar. The man's dark hair was held back in a loose pony-tail, its natural grease catching the flickering light of the bar's lamps. Evidence of ragged yellow teeth managed to sneak below the man's upper lip, graced by a fine brown fuzz. His ratty eyes were sunken, an unnerving look of animalistic hunger haunted them. Zoro had yet to see the man so much as blink.

So when Sanji excused himself, momentarily, from the crowd of women, and the ratty brunet got up to follow, Zoro was not far behind. The swordsman watched as the blonde cook entered the bathroom, and the brunet took a position in the shadows to wait in ambush.

The rat-man let out a startled whimper as he hit the wall, Zoro raising a katana to his face. At first the brunet did not seem to fully register just what was going on, and attempted to simply push Zoro away. It was not until they locked eyes that the man seemed to come to terms with what he was facing.

"W- what the hell man?" the brunet stuttered.

"I could ask you the same thing." Zoro growled.

"Yuh- you mean the blonde? I was just-"

"Just _what_?"

A smile spread across the brunet's face as he casually knocked Zoro's blade aside. "So you want him too huh?" Zoro repositioned his blade and knocked the brunet back into the wall. Where a normal man would have gotten the message, this one seemed to be lacking the brain power. "Man, relax. I ain't opposed to sharin'." The predatory grin spread even farther, "Besides, I bet if we worked together we could make him scream somthin' pretty"

And so the last nerve passed away without so much as a whimper, as Zoro's fist crushed the other man's face. It was as he was wiping the blood off of his fist that Sanji exited the bathroom.

"What the hell Zoro?" the blond asked incredulously.

"Looked at me funny."

Sanji scoffed and rolled his one visible eye. "_Whatever."_ was all he offered before he stepped back inside the bar.

Zoro sighed and replaced the blade within its scabbard. This was not the first time he had done something like this. The damn blonde was prettier than any man should be, and it caused a lot of disturbing characters to crawl out of the walls. It was a fucking nuisance really.

"Oi, shithead!"

Zoro's head snapped up. Sanji crossed the distance between them in two steps, his lips landing briefly on Zoro's.

"We're leaving baka." this said he turned on his heel and walked back to the door. Upon reaching the door he turned back. "So if anybody else has 'looked at you funny' you'd better take care of it quick." and with an all to knowing smile he passed through the door.

Zoro smiled. He supposed it really was not _too_ much of a nuisance.

V: And so there it is, the bunny that just wouldn't die...


	7. The Important Ones

1V: Okay, I didn't much care for the last short... and by the lack of reviews very few of you enjoyed it either... Hence, the quick addition of this snippet. Which isn't outstanding either... but there you have it...

The Important Ones

"One-hundred and forty-six!" Yelled Sanji into the din of the latest squabble between the Marines and the Strawhat pirates.

The swish and clang of metal could be heard nearby, accompanied by the screams of those who had been unable to clear themselves of Zoro's attack. "One-hundred and fourty-seven!" Was the cocky reply.

Sanji cursed under his breath, kicking in the face of the closest marine. Every time, it happened every freaking time. No matter how fast he worked, or how much force he put behind his attacks, the damn marimo always managed to out do him by one.

The blonde placed his hands on the ground, and with the grace and dexterity he was known for, spun in place, his legs breaking anything and everything they came in contact with. With a final sweep, he set himself back on his feet, pausing to take a brief inventory of the damage he had done. That was when he saw a nearby marine raise a gun to point at the unsuspecting swordsman. Reacting without thought, the blonde shot out a foot, crushing the offending marine's right hand. The potentially dangerous projectile shot harmlessly upwards into the sky, while Sanji sent the man crashing to earth.

"One seventy-nine!" Was the swordsman's triumphant cry as he felled the last of their opponents. Oblivious to what had nearly happened.

Sanji smiled. It never failed, Zoro always managed to beat him by one. The blonde looked down at the broken man at his feet. But the cook figured he'd let the swordsman have that extra point, so long as he could take down the important ones.

V: Yes, yes I know it's short... but the one I wanted to post isn't close to being finished yet. Oh, and for those of you who have taken the time to look at my profile page, I just wanted to let you know that the first chapter of a ZoroxSanji story will be posted this week. It is going to be under the M section though, as I shall attempt to work a lemon into the plot... well I plan to anyway... we'll just have to see what comes of it...


	8. The Danger of Snacks

V: Bad news... my computer ate the story I planned to post today... two weeks of work down the drain my friends... ;.;. So the full length story is on standby for now... sorry.

The Dangers of Snacking

"Ussop... Ussop... Ussop... Heeey Ussop... Ussop."

It was amazing how long five minutes could be.

"Ussop... Ussop... Ussop..."

Ussop was bent over his latest invention, trying very hard to ignore Luffy's broken record routine, and the finger poking the back of his head.

"Ussop... Ussop..."

It was not working.

"Hey... Ussop..."

"For the love of Merry! What?!?!" Ussop finally caved, screaming so loud that Luffy rolled back few feet.

Luffy blinked, as if confused by Ussop's reaction. But it soon passed. "Will you see if Sanji will make snacks?" he asked, the usual grin now plastered to his face.

"No, go ask him yourself." Grumbled Ussop, turning back to his work.

"I did... He said no... then he kicked me... It hurt." As if to prove this Luffy undid his vest to show the sniper the foot shaped bruise that now decorated his torso.

"So what makes you think he'll say yes if I ask him?"

Luffy gave the question a second of serious thought. "I don't know..."

Ussop palmed his face. "I'm not gonna ask him Luffy." Feeling that the matter was settled, he went back to work.

Luffy did not get the message. "Ussop... Ussop... Ussop..."

"Fine I'll ask him! Anything to make you stop doing that!"

Luffy just smiled as the sniper stormed out the door. Still tensed Ussop entered the kitchen with a bang, severely startling the blonde currently preparing dinner. "Luffy wants a snack. He wont leave me alone, so make the damn snack already!"

The look Sanji gave could have melted plastic. "What did you just say to me long-nose?"

Ussop wilted under the icy glare and attempted to blend into the kitchen walls. "I uh-" Ussop gulped, the cook now glaring inches from his face. "T -that is to say that I um- humbly- ask that you-"A particularly large wave struck the Merry Go at that instant, sending a shivering sniper and a seething cook to the floor.

They both blinked. Ussop was now hovering over a highly confused blonde, realization that their lip were touching slowly dawning on them both.

"Hey, kuso- cook. You got any more of that-" Zoro stopped mid sentence at the sight before him. The swordsman's eyes spontaneously combusted as he pulled the stuttering sniper off the cook, and proceeded to break the liar's nose three different ways. Sanji, meanwhile, hovered over the sink, a hand clamped to his mouth in an effort to keep from vomiting.

V: Ussop is a good anger outlet... still doesn't bring the story back though...


	9. Red Smoke

V: WARNING!!! This is by no means a happy fic. There is blood, tears, and character death. Once again, NOT A HAPPY FIC!!!

Red Smoke

The air wreaked of sulfur and blood, thin wisps of smoke dancing up to the overcast sky. Cries of pain and effort ripped across the landscape, and bodies that had forgotten how to process air came crashing to the ground. The earth was decorated with deep, angry gashes that served now as cups to the unyielding fall of blood. Steel flashed and sparked, as guns spat out their leaden projectiles, and limbs danced in vain. There existed nothing beyond the rage of battle, not a sky, not an ocean, the very world falling from existence as the maddened dance kept its fevered pace. And yet, even the cries of war fell silent for awhile, as two men waited for the inevitable to come.

Zoro cradled the head of an unconscious blonde in the basket of his legs, calloused fingers running gently over the quickening pale of the other's cheek. A stream of crimson ran from beneath Sanji's hair, rapidly coating the gold a shade of sickly red. The cook's sunken eyes revolved at a desperate pace behind their covers, an unintelligible slur of sound tripping from between his lips as his breathing was reduced to harsh gasps. And Zoro felt truly helpless for the first time in his life.

_"Keep him awake!"_ Had been Chopper's final words of help, before the reindeer had been swept back into the tide of battle.

But for one to be kept awake, they first had to be awake. Sanji, unfortunately had been unconscious by the time the swordsman had been able to make his way to the fallen cook. So the task no became to wake the blonde, but how, Zoro could not say.

"Oi," called Zoro softly, as he carefully shook the cook's shoulder.

Sanji did not stir.

"Kuso-cook, snap out of it," He tried again, only to get nothing from the blonde below him.

"Baka," He spat, trying to turn his mask his concern as malice. "If you don't wake up I swear I'll slice open every last one of these marines, and then show your precious Nami-san the best fucking time of her life-"

"Nami-swan wouldn't touch you if you were the last piece of shitty-moss on this planet. Besides... I know from experience you don't work that way..." Sanji spat weakly, his eyes still closed, but a small smile flickered across his purple lips.

Zoro's breath left him in a wave of relief. "Think you know so much about me, do you eyebrow?"

"Marimo, I know things about you that would make your mother blush..." Sanji tried to chuckle, but only managed a small puff of air.

Zoro gave an indignant snort, "What I do is nothing compared to what you're capable of kuso-cook."

Sanji murmured incoherently as he began to fall from consciousness.

An icy grip of panic clutched the swordsman's heart. "Oi!" he tried not to scream, as he gently shook the blonde. "You can't do that. You've gotta keep talking."

"'m so tired Zoro," Sanji breathed, the sound barely more than a whisper. "Let's break tradition... and you talk for awhile." Each word came out as a near silent cry of pain as the cook struggled to make his lungs cooperate.

"No deal baka, you're not getting out of this that easily." Zoro growled, trying to keep the panicked tone from overtaking his voice. "If you can't think of anything to talk about then count."

"Zoro..." The sound was fleeting, and without force to carry it far beyond Sanji's lips.

"That's not a number idiot."

Something that could only be described as a sigh of the most resigned exhaustion, whispered passed the cook's lips. "One..." It was the most painful number Zoro had ever heard. "Two... three... seven... twelve..." The cook's voice faded out.

"No you don't." Zoro's tone was that of a parent of scolding a child. "Just keep counting damn it, that's all you have to do!" His emotions were quickly giving way to hysterics.

"God Zoro... I'm so tired... Just let me sleep..." The most miserable of requests whispered from the cook's lips.

"Not yet, you've gotta reach infinity first and then you can sleep." But Zoro knew full well that the cook was falling far too fast to be caught, but he choose to ignore this knowledge.

For awhile Sanji could only mime the movement of sound, his lips twitching like the last fleeting kicks of a drowning swimmer. But, finally, the cook's voice found a fleeting moment of traction "...love...Zoro..." were the words sacrificed by the final breath of air the cook had lost claim to, and everything became cold.

"Damn it, d- don't say that-" Zoro choked, aware that he was crying, but hardly cared. "You don't get to leave... y-you don't-" the words died, and Zoro surrendered.

Carefully picking up Sanji's limp form, knowing full well that the time for care had long since passed, he cradled the lifeless cook in his arms, letting his tears blaze trails of fire down his face. Around him the battle flared, the nameless cried, and smoke wafted solemnly towards the sky.

V: I told you it wasn't a happy fic. Why on earth did you read it?


	10. Turn About is Fair Play

**Turn About is Fair Play**

Giant puffs of white floated lazily across a forget-me-not sky, granting the earth temporary shade as they flickered past the sun. A calm spring breeze carried the smell of late blooming flowers and freshly cut grass into market, and seeds, carried by white parasols of fluff, became the winds contented passengers. The markets patrons buzzed happily with one another, trading pleasantries and tall-tales to while away the time. All in all, it was a peaceful, beautiful, picturesque day- Zoro yawned -and all he wanted to was take a nap.

How he had been convinced to pass up the perfect opportunity for an uninterrupted nap he still couldn't figure out. Everyone had jumped at the opportunity to vacate the ship to explore the sleepy little island, so Zoro had offered- without actually saying anything -to stay behind. Apparently Nami had other ideas on how the he should spend his afternoon, regrettably not involving sleep. Sanji had, of course, jumped to defend the navigator's decision, kicking the swordsman overboard and halfway to town.

And so now here he was. Holding bag after bag of items he could not care less about, as none of them contained either booze or food, waiting for Nami to finish her latest shopping spree. Speaking of the orange-haired devil spawn... Zoro pivoted his head to locate the current thorn in his side, and found Nami standing under the awning of a store, only a few feet away, hand clasped to her mouth as she attempted to hold back a fit of giggles. Robin, who was standing to Nami's left, was staring in the same direction, a look of controlled amusement dressing her face.

"What the hell is so funny?" Zoro growled, coming to stand at Nami's right.

The ability to form coherent sentences seemed to vacate the navigator at this point. The harder she tried to answer the swordsman's question, the more vicious her laughter became, finally incapacitating he all together as she fell to her knees.

"It seems," said Robin after a moment, "that cook-san is getting a taste of his own medicine." And rasing a slender finger, she pointed beyond the navigator's hysterical form to reveal the cook's location.

Sanji, the one and only love-cook, worshiper of all women, able to turn into a living noodle just at the sight of womanly curves, seemed to have bitten off more than he could chew. The look of furious concentration furrowed his brow as a love-tipsy redhead hung shamelessly off his shoulder. Valiantly attempting to finish his checklist, the process was being hampered considerably as the woman kept making attempts to capture his lips.

To anyone watching, it was quite obvious that Sanji did not want the woman's company. But, the blonde's inability to ever suggest to a woman that her company was unwelcome won out against his aggravation. So he granted her painful smiles, and nodded at the appropriate times, all the while attempting to keep the physical contact to a minimum.

Zoro looked to the sky. Surely the meteorite would come crashing down anytime now, because this had to be the signal for the end of the world. After all his professions of undying love made to women around the world, Sanji was actually turning down the affections of a woman. However, Zoro thought back, as much as the cook flitted over women, none had ever fallen for his love sick routine. In fact, it seemed to keep them all at arms length...

"I-I guess," Nami chuckled, getting to her feet, "s-someone should go help him." She sighed, wiping the tears from her eyes.

For a second, none of them could find the strength in their legs to move, and could only look on as the cook gently pulled the woman away from his face.

"I got it." Zoro said upon finding his voice, setting down the shopping bags and heading towards the blonde.

"Exercise restraint swordsman-san, she's only a girl after all." Robin called at Zoro's retreating back.

Zoro raised a hand in acknowledgment, an almost devilish smile plastered to his face.

"...but I think that I'd have to say Tuesday is my favorite day, because no one ever chooses Tuesday... and could you imagine being a day of the week that nobody liked? I think it'd just be horrible but you know people-" The clingy redhead droned, embracing the very ruffled cook from behind.

Zoro paused to wonder what type of conversation had lead to this mundane topic. Sanji somehow managed to smile at the still chattering dimwit, while prying her arm away from his torso.

"Hey there lover." was all the warning the cook received, before Zoro caught hold of the blonde's tie, and pulled him forward into a bruising kiss.

Zoro could make out a gasped oh from the redhead, and the full gale on Nami's laughter as he pulled away from the chef.

Full caught off-guard, Sanji fell back the second the kissed ended. The redhead blushed furiously and quickly made her way down to the furthest corner of the market. Fully satisfied that his rescue plan had worked, Zoro walked back to the shopping bags, while Sanji issued a stream of insults to the swordsman's back.

And for once, Zoro was okay with missing a nap.

V: It's amazing what total boredom can do for one's creative drive. :)


	11. Story Time

Story Time

"And so," said Ussop, his voice theatrically tense, dark shadows flickering over his face as the candle's flame twitched in suspense, " he picked up the golfclub and made his way up the stairs, each one creaking as his foot came to rest upon it..." his voice imitating the sound of creaky steps.

Chopper's eyes doubled in size each time Ussop creaked, clinging tightly to Robin's arm. The archaeologist gave Chopper a reassuring smile and pulled the tiny reindeer onto her lap, calming him slightly. Luffy was on the floor, eyes wide, hands making constant trips from his mouth to the bowl of popcorn he was 'sharing' with the others. Nami was trying, for all the world, to look as cynical as possible, and failing miserably. Sanji sat at the table, cigaret in hand, looking utterly board, smoke turning to transparent silver in the candle light. Zoro was... asleep. (Honestly who did not see that one coming?)

"Raising the golf club above his head, he went to open the door to the attic..." Ussop resumed, mimicking the motion of raising the club.

"No!" Squeaked Chopper, the size of his eyes now defying all logic.

"Yesss" hissed Ussop turning a shadowed gaze to the reindeer. "He opened the door..."

Everyone leaned closer, Zoro opened and eye.

"He stepped inside..."

Luffy stopped eating, mouth still open and uneaten bits of popcorn falling from his lips.

"And..._Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh_!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Ussop screamed, clutching at his heart.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!" was Chopper's returned scream as he flew off Robin's lap, now suspended from the ceiling by his antlers.

Nami screamed and grabbed Luffy around the chest, making the bowl fly out of his hands, knocking the candle over, total black now blanketing the kitchen. The lack of visibility only made matters worse. Luffy, still in Nami's iron grasp, was attempting to remove Chopper from the woodwork. Chopper was still screaming. Ussop tried to locate the candle, knocking over the kitchen table in the process. There was a loud crash as Luffy finally managed to free the doctor, but not before the momentum of his streatched arms bounced off the cabinets, sending their contents crashing to the ground. Chopper was still screaming.

"That's better." said Robin, opening the door and bathing the kitchen in late afternoon sunshine.

Ussop made a number of sputtering gasps from beneath the flipped table, a twitching arm just barely visible. Chopper moaned from beneath a pile of broken dishes, Luffy's extended arm now laying like a limp noodle on the floor. Nami's vice-grip had increased to the point that the strawhat captain was finding it difficult to breath. Sanji seemed to escaped the physical catastrophe, and was now sitting wide-eyed in the lap of a very contented looking swordsman.

Sanji blinked and shook his head slightly, chasing away the lingering feelings of confusion. Fully prepared to rip Ussop a new one for the state his kitchen was now in, the cook made to get up. Zoro, it seemed, was not as ready to move on to the next task.

"Oi," growled Sanji, attempting to pry himself from Zoro steel embrace, "teme, let go!"

"No." was the flat reply, as Zoro pulled the blonde farther back.

"Why the hell not!?"

Zoro smiled, bringing his mouth just inches away from the cooks ear, "'Cause he's still gotta finish the story... and since the first part scared you so much-"

"I was not scared!"

"-then maybe it would just be better if you stayed here." Zoro purred, tongue coasting briefly over the top of Sanji's ear.

"Fuck you."

"You've got it backwards." Zoro smiled, biting down on the juncture between Sanji's shoulder and neck.

Sanji hissed in surprise. "Bastard."

Zoro chuckled, pulling back to run his tongue along the reddened skin. Right arm circled the cook in a possessive ring, while buttons were freed by his left. Calloused fingers ghosted over freed skin, pulling the blonde back into another kiss, hand disappearing below-

"Oookay time to go!" Cried Ussop, gathering up his stunned crew mates and rushing out the door.

V: ... Yeah I know... It's times like this that I look at my plot bunnies and go: "_WTF?_"


	12. Part of the Whole

V:Sad Fic, in more ways than one...

Part of the Whole

Part of me had always known it would end like this, in a single mistake and a flash of steel.

Part of me had known it, long before I fell in love with him, before our first spat even. I watched as air became black, and the sea turned red. As the hawk swooped upon the unsteady sapling... nearly ripping him in two.

And that part of me knew...

That it would eventually end like this...

In blood, in steel...

And yet, when it did... all of me cried.

V: Yes I know it's short, but I seem to have contracted a seriously bad case of writer's block that just won't go _away_. -moans- 86 words... -hits head on desk-


	13. A Tale of Lunch

A Tale of Lunch

The band of three crept captiously through the darkened catacombs of the demon's lair, carful to not even breath too loud lest the damnable creature heard them.

They had ventured far in the Land of Merry; the Great Wizard of Syrup, the Gummy Night, and the Healing Stallion. Sent forth to save the fair-haired ruler of Kuchen, from the grasp of the green-eyed devil. And while the ruler was one of fowl temperament, the kingdom would surely starve if the trio failed in there quest. So they had set off; the Night with his courage, the Stallion with his herbs, and the Great Wizard with his wand stored within his nose for easy access.

They had made it past the raven haired gorgon, who surely would have transformed them into stone if not for the protection spell cast by the Great Wizard. So the gorgon could only smile in morose defeat, watching the three move past her guard.

The Forest of Death had proven to be far more dangerous. Defeated souls hung from branches of stone, watching as the band of three snuck beneath the canopy. But the fire haired witch, who resided in that place of death, was not naive of their presence. She had leapt from the trees, eyes alight, hurling curses that proved to be far beyond the ability of the Great Wizard. In an attempt to save his band, the Knight flung himself into the trees, freeing the captured souls to attack the witch that had imprisoned them. It was as the hag cried in a blind rage, that the three made their escape.

And so here they were, at the near end of their journey. The only injury contracted was the rare illness, cannot-go-into-the-dark-or-we'll-be-eaten, by the Great Wizard. However, despite the contraction of what was sure to be a fatal disease, the Great Wizard managed to push on.

The heavy silence was broken by the sounds of a scuffle, coming from just beyond the walls of the catacomb. The curses of the captured ruler could be heard, no doubt as he tried to fend off the demon.

The band of three shared a final look, each knowing that once they entered the demon's lair, they might not come back. With the inhale of a steadying breath, the Gummy Knight turned the leaver, allowing entrance to the cave beyond.

It was as they had feared! The demon had the shirtless ruler backed into a wall. A gnarled hand grabbed at golden silk, pulling the blonde's head back to expose the neck. With a animalistic growl the demon lunged, biting down on the exposed skin.

The brave warriors sprung into action.

The Knight hurled an extend punch into the shocked demon's lower torso, sending the creature crashing into the other side of the cave. Meanwhile, the Wizard astride the Steed, scooped up the paralyzed ruler, making a frantic dash for the exit.

"What the _fuck_?" Was the ruler's indignant cry.

Alas, he had been jinxed!

"Fear not good sir!" declared the Wizard. "For we are here to free you from the demon's curse." Then turning to the Knight. "Come, oh brave knight, while we can still escape."

"I swear to god Ussop , I'm going to break every bone in your body if you do not let go of me _now._" the blonde's eyes promised death.

However the Wizard remained, uncharacteristically, steeled in his resolve.

With the return of the final member, the trio dashed out of the cave's entrance back into the catacombs. There it was, the light of day. They had only to reach its safe rays-

The demon had woken from his inflicted unconsciousness! The creature's curses were drawing nearer now, the sounds of angry footsteps and splintering wood accenting every word.

"Quickly noble steed!" Cried the Wizard, the normal tones of panic now edging his voice.

The already heavily panting stead obliged, weather in compliance or fear it was impossible to say. The demon was dangerously close now, angry hands swiping at the steed's rear legs. They broke into the sunlight-

Chopper's final leap sent Luffy catapulting off the doctor's back. The reindeer made a sharp turn, unaware his back was now absent a rubberman, nearly throwing off Ussop and Sanji as he did so.

"Hurry Chopper!" yelled Ussop, who had foolishly looked back to see the infuriated Zoro charging them from only a few feet away.

From out of nowhere, Luffy flew past his enraged first mate, crashing into his friends. The momentum rocketed the four into the kitchen, each member slamming into the opposite wall. Ussop rose hurriedly, locking the kitchen door.

"Sanji, we're hungry!" was the childish whine issued from the captain as he poked the chef's sprawled form. "It's time for lunch!"

There were now angry voices just outside the door, it seemed Nami and Zoro had decided to team up on this one. The air grew heavy with curses, and the door rattled on its hinges and two pairs of angry fists slammed against the wood. To make matters worse, it seemed Sanji had just gathered his wits.

As a result of a very heated attack, all three offending pirates were slammed through the kitchen door, and were greeted by an irrate navigator, and a seriously pissed swordsman. And so, the trio found themselves denied both lunch and dinner. Spending the next twelve hours tied to the mast, contemplating the debt they had now incurred.

V: Moral of the story... Don't interrupt a demon during mating rituals, no matter how hungry you may be... Or it could be not to smoke what ever the hell I was on when I wrote this...


	14. Methods of Victory

Methods of Victory

The dim light of some ungodly hour pressed into Sanji's bleary eyes. He streatched, blinking away sleep, and tried to figure out just what in the hell had woken him up.

The nearly non-existent sound of metal clanking against metal drifted down to the bunkroom from the deck.

Sanji gave a resigned sigh and swung himself out of his hammock. Bare feet padding softly across the hard floor, he crossed to the ladder and climbed out onto Merry's deck, the cool night air pushing bed crumpled strands of hair out of his face.

The idiot was at it again.

About a week ago, the walking piece of moss had gotten a cold. It had not been anything serious, a few days of rest and he would have been back to perfect health. However, rather than taking the news simply as an excuse for more frequent and extensive naps, the man had gone into overdrive. One thing had led to fifty, which had led to an exhaustion that was quick to translate itself into a fever that had refused to break for about a week.

Chopper had been furious of course. He became a stubborn little ball of fluff, refusing to leave Zoro's side for a minute, lest the swordsman attempt an unadvisable activity. The furry doctor had even gone as far as to hide the swordsman's weights, but from the rattle that was coming from the deck the swordsman had managed to locate them anyway.

Sanji took a moment to watch the swordsman swing the ridiculously large plates of iron over his head, an unreadable emotion masking the cook's face.

Zoro's breath was coming in sharp gasps that were painful just to listen to. A fevered sweat coated every inch of visible skin, an unhealthy flush coloring the swordsman's face. Muscles twitched beneath tan skin, betraying the slightest signs of exhaustion, the path of the weights weaving beyond the normally precise arc.

"Oi, marimo, Chopper's gonna be pissed if he finds out what your sorry ass has been up to." Sanji drawled, choosing to light a cigaret rather than meet the swordsman's glare.

"It's a good thing he's not going to." Puffed Zoro pointedly, not pausing his activities in the slightest.

Sanji let a curl of blue smoke fade into the charcoal sky before continuing. "You know you look like shit."

"I've got no idea what you're talking about kuso-cook. I've never felt better."

Sanji raised his visible eyebrow. "Really? 'Cause I've gotta tell you shitty-swordsman, if this is you at your peak, then you might want to reevaluate your life's occupation. You don't look like you could stand up to a falling leaf, much less a sword."

Zoro glared. "I'm... fine..." But the tone of crippling exhaustion did not help the swordsman's case any.

The weights fell to the deck with a mind shattering crash as Sanji pinned the swordsman against the deck. Right leg pressed across Zoro's torso, the cook glanced over at the splayed swordsman with a look that was something along the lines of smug disappointment.

"Honestly marimo, this is pretty sad."

Zoro gave an irritated grunt, trying to push the cook's leg away with little success. "Get the fuck off me kuso-cook."

"No, you've been acting like an idiot... well, more so, ever since you got sick. I want to know just what the hell is up with you."

"It's none of your damn business wonderbrow." Zoro growled, continuing to struggle fruitlessly beneath the cook's leg.

"So there is something wrong with you."

Zoro gave the slightest pause to glare daggers at the blonde. "I never said that."

"You didn't fucking have to dumbass." Sanji sighed, running a hand through his hair. This was going to be a long night. "Anyone watching you for five minutes could figure out that something is wrong with you."

"Spying on me now, kuso-cook?" Zoro smirked.

"God, it's like talking to a freakin' rock." Sanji moaned, palming his face. "What happens if we get attacked you idiot? You're in no shape to be fighting anyone, and I'm sure as hell not guarding your ass."

"So?" Zoro asked tonelessly, seeming to have given up on dispelling Sanji's leg.

"Look," began Sanji, his voice adopting a softer tone. "I've got no clue about what goes on in that empty skull of you, and I'd like to keep it that way. But ever since you got sick, you've gone into self-destruction mode. I mean, you sleep more when you're _healthy. _If it had been any of the rest of us-"

"I shouldn't get sick." Zoro murmured flatly.

Sanji blinked, taking a moment to survey Zoro's facial expression. "What's that supposed to mean? Everybody gets-"

"I'm going to be the best one day." Zoro's face clouded. "But, I still loose to a bug too fucking small to even see... it's as bad as stairs..."

Sanji's mind scrabbled to process this one, the stairs comment threw the cook of Zoro's train of thought entirely. "So... you're supposed to be immune to all disease? The fuck kind of logic is that?"

Zoro stared straight into the sky, "I'm still not strong enough..."

"So you decide to go into overdrive, and what? Lend the bug a hand in killing you."

Zoro did not so much as blink.

Sanji massaged his temples, moron logic was a brain killer. "Ok, fine. You've found an opponent that you can't beat with your katana. I'd have thought even you, could figure out when the first strategy was a failure, and then find another way to beat it."

Sanji raised his leg from Zoro's chest. Flicking the spent cigaret into the ocean he walked back to the men's dorm to catch a few more hours of sleep before he had to start breakfast. If the idiot swordsman did not want to listen to reason, then nothing Sanji could say would change his mind. The crap-swordsman was just that stubborn.

Sanji woke up later than usual that morning. Luffy was still snoring away in his hammock, but both Ussop and Chopper were absent. He also noted that the couch did not look like it had been slept on at any point in the night. Stubborn bastard.

Sighing, Sanji rose from his own hammock and ascended the ladder. He was nearly knocked back down to the men's quarters by a nervously humming ball of fluff.

"Oi, Chopper where's the fire?"

The reindeer turned around to glare sharply at the blonde, a hoof raised to his mouth in a shushing gesture. "You'll wake him up." Chopper explained irritably, shuffling the blankets cradled in his small arms.

"Wake who-" Sanji stopped when he saw the sleeping form at the mast. "Well, I'll be damned..."

Chopper shuffled over to the mast, draping blankest over the swordsman's sleeping form. "I'm glad he's sleeping but..." Chopper began, pointing to the expression on Zoro's face.

Sanji tilted his head to get a better view. Zoro's normal peaceful mask of sleep had turned into one on scowling concentration. In all actuality, it looked like the man was in a lot of pain. Sanji knew better.

"I wouldn't worry about it Chopper." Sanji smiled, hand resting briefly on the doctor's hat. "He takes all of his opponents seriously after all."

V: And for better or worse, there you have it...


	15. There are Times

V: i was online today and realized I hadn't writen anything in over a month!! It's not the best piece of writing, but it's here all the same!

There are Times

There were times when gray shadows on marble steps would darken to purple shades of spilt blood, and Zoro couldn't move.

Sanji would stop at his side, his visible blue eye seeking out, the now, misted over green of Zoro's.

With out a sound, Sanji would pluck a cigarette from his pocket, brining the end to life in a flash of orange flame, and with heavy steps, ascended the elevated stone. The cook made sure that each time his foot greeted stone, it was with an audible crunch, and that such steps were taken slowly.

Upon reaching the crest, he'd turn back to find the swordsman unmoved, still glaring a phantoms Sanji could not see. With a slight twitch of his lips, the cigaret would be maneuvered to a side of his mouth, as he called out to the swordsman.

His calls were never abrasive enough to cause the swordsman's nerves to combust, only enough to singe and maintain the facade.

Zoro would return with a snarl of ugly words, feet tracing Sanji's success with quick and deliberate steps before reaching the blonde himself. One hand rested, knuckle white, on Wadou, while the other wound itself into Sanji's collar, and for a few minutes neither man would break the bond.

But life had to go on, and Sanji would grasp Zoro's hand and free it from his shirt, checking the swordsman's eyes a final time before allowing Zoro's hand to fall at his side. With a barely audible curse Zoro would release Wadou and follow the cook without another word.

It was never discussed, or counted as a debt, because the swordsman knew...

One day the sky would cloud, and the wind would cry...

And Zoro would be called to fight the storm.


	16. Rain

It's raining.

Large heavy drops, denting the muddy earth, and running silver through the gold of his hair. His cloths are soaked. Blue dress shirt molded around his torso, pushed level with his skin by the late summer wind.

The sound of trees talking just overhead.

He's in dangerous territory now. No place to hide. No outside eyes to see and no foreign influences to interfere.

Completely at the mercy of his hunter.

It is exhilarating.

Captivating him and freeing him all in one.

He knows how it will end, it's always the same. But that never diminishes the pure animalistic thrill of the chase. The way he can feel his heart beat frantically over the futility of it all would be pleasure enough.

But knowing somehow makes it all the more intoxicating.

There are foreign breaths in the air now, the sound of heavy foot falls to his right, just beyond his line of vision.

A smile finds its way to his lips. An acknowledgement that this part of the act is near its end.

The predator rushes out of the brush. Flushed steel and iron will coated in silver. Eyes narrowing as he executes what he believes to be, the final free moments of his prey.

But he is not perusing a naive animal.

And just as it looks as if the chase will be drawn to a close, the blonde leaps from danger, flashing ivory as he jumps into the emerald canopy.

Forcing a boot down into the soaked earth, the hunter redirects his momentum to join his prey.

There is a moment of hurried struggle, and then both fall from earthy arms, into the silver world below. Neither loosing hold as the earth attempts to shake them apart.

And like that, the chase is over.

Both halves melt together in teeth and hands, and the world all but falls away.

It's still raining after all.


	17. Evergreen

**V: **Funny thing... I actually wanted to write fluff today... But, I took a walk and it rained, so here we are!!

**Evergreen**

_I know._

_I know it is cliché to compare people to trees._

_But honestly… there is no other way to describe you._

_Throughout my life, I've built a forest. I've found sturdy oak bastards, with branches ripped off by the wind, still refusing to die. There's a willow whose dreaming branches are swayed by nothing more complicated than whim and wind, and row upon row of forever blooming cherry trees. Somewhere there is a flimsy birch that bends to the wind, but knows when to stand tall, and a growing sapling, not yet fully definable. But you…_

_You are the evergreen. _

_While the rest of us acknowledge the change of season, turning our leaves and setting them upon the world. You refuse to yield. _

_And while the rest of us send our past upon the world, our guards up, you claim no such pains._

_Instead, dropping a single needle in secret._

_Eventually the brown spears of your past weave a blanket of acid, hiding the sun and turning the earth below you to dust. And even as these unshared memories being to choke away the green around you, you still claim to feel nothing._

_Why do you do it?_

_I have wondered for sometime…_

_Only to find that your needles have begun to pierce the green I so wanted to share with you. And that forever may end sooner than I could have ever believed…_

Sanji sat at the kitchen table, running his finger over countless recipes, attempting to compose a feasible menu for the upcoming week. Their stores were running low, and even though Nami said they should arrive at the next island in a couple of days (and he knew his goddess would never lie), there was no reason not to be smart with the rest of their supplies.

Cursing the few sunlit hours of the day, Sanji lit another candle, and hoped against hope that he wouldn't be blind by the age of thirty. The scratch of pen against paper resumed just as the door opened, and the sound of booted feet upon wood announced another occupant.

_He'll go to the wine first._

Zoro strode over to the far wall without so much as a head nod in the cook's direction. With the smallest of thoughtful hums, he pulled out the largest, darkest bottle he could find, and with an uncultured swallow made to leave the dimly lit kitchen.

_I'll try to stop him._

Sanji slid his char back from the table. "Oi, the hell do you think your going shitty-marimo?" He snapped, a clawed hand grasping the base of the bottle.

_He won't let me._

Zoro scowled as he attempted to jerk the bottle out of the cook's grasp. "Wherever I want wonderbrow, let go."

Sanji smirked, hand still on the bottle, and leaned in closer. "Don't tell me the world's _almost _greatest swordsman's upper body strength can't beat that of a cook's"

_I'll try to push him._

Zoro growled, yanking the bottle back, causing Sanji to stumble forwards and into the swordsman's chest. Then, wrapping an arm around the cook's slighter frame, Zoro grasped the blonde's wrist with bruising force, and wrenched the bottle from Sanji's hand.

Still holding the blonde to him, Zoro downed the bottle in a matter of seconds, ending with a look that said he had just proven something before thrusting the bottle into the cook's hand.

_He'll ignore it._

"Bastard." Sanji snapped as he fell away from the swordsman, setting the empty bottle on the table, and turning to examine his wrist.

_He'll see that he hurt me._

The grin faded from Zoro's face, as he gingerly attempted to bring the cook's injured wrist to light.

Sanji wouldn't have it. "Oi, let go of me baka bushido," He snapped, pulling his hand back in a quicker fashion than comfort would allow, wincing slightly.

_But he won't know why._

Zoro scowled. "Just let me see it kuso cook."

"Why?" Sanji snapped, a bit harder than the situation called for. But when Zoro didn't so much as flinch, he didn't give it a second thought. "It's fine." He was lying of course; he could already feel his blood pulsing in the shapes of angry fingers. He'd have to have Chopper look at it later.

_So, he'll stop pushing the issue._

Zoro just scowled deeper. "When do you have watch tonight?"

"Why, you wanna know when the kitchen will be empty so you can sneak more booze?" Sanji bit back a string of curses that, would have seasoned his sentence nicely, but were ill advised.

"No! Shit cook, I just figured if we have watch right after each other then we could just save time and do it together."

_He'll retreat to what he knows will work._

"I have the shift after Chopper." Was all the information the cook offered before taking his seat back at the table.

"I have watch after Ussop," Zoro volunteered dejectedly.

_But even that will fail._

"I guess we won't be doing it together than."

"… I guess not."

_He'll leave, wanting to say something… but never does._

Zoro stood for a few seconds, only staring at the cook's now busy hand. Bruised wrist now hidden beneath blue material. Then, placing a chaste (and fully meaningless) kiss to the back of Sanji's head. Heavy boots thudded against the floor, the door opened with a squeak.

All noise momentarily quieted, and Sanji held a vain breath.

But, Zoro simply shook his head, as if to dislodge an unpleasant thought, before closing the door behind him as he stepped out onto the deck.

Sanji stopped writing, and just stared at the paper. He tried to read over what he had written, but it was amazing how quickly crisp black letters turned into gray blobs.

_Repetition, that's all we have, because he refuses to share more._

_And I can only hold on to that for so long…_

Sanji hid his face in the bowl of his arms, and tried to chase the thoughts away with the possibilities of dreams.

_So…_

_My Evergreen._

_How long?_

_How long until the brown spears of dying memories finally block me from view? Leaving you all alone. _

_Because while the forest will grow around you, they can never come close enough. And so, you'll be alone with your acid memories…_

_My grave beneath it's blanket._


	18. Furry Insperation

Zoro was not a man of metaphors.

No rainbow, sunrise, or fireworks display could call to mind the clichéd expressions of long dead men. Nor, could any action bring to heart more than the normal fuzz of contentment…

But, there was something about seeing a one eyed cat take down a stray nearly five time's it size was certainly cause enough for Zoro to take a moments pause.

The yellow tabby, exhausted from it's victory, sank to the ground once it was sure the offending mutt had fled. Tail curled protectively around his body, the cat shot Zoro a half-focused look of disapproval; a low growl transmitting what the single blue eye could not.

And Zoro was hit with a foreign emotion.

Peeling off his early fall jacket, he wrapped the still growling ball of fir in the light material, and headed for home.

The light feeling that others would have dubbed inspiration carried Zoro all the way back to his apartment. It traveled through the front door and up the stairs, past the living room and the kitchen, until the bedroom was reached.

And it was only now, as he played a futile staring game with the one eyed being at the foot of his bed, that the initial warm fuzzies began to fall away, and Zoro didn't know what to do next. Mentally calling himself several types of idiot.

The cat seemed to agree.

**V:** Okay I know that was not my best attempt at a fic... but honestly I'm in something of a slump.

I'm afraid that my computer decided to eat all of my fiction, including the next installments of 'The Games We Play' as well as 'Triangles are Forever'... so yeah.

Also: **I NEED A BETA** By the time I get done writing a chapter the last thing I want to do is check for mistakes. Any and all offers will be greatly appreciated.

And I am also taking prompts for drabbles

Thank you


	19. Tied

Zoro had been damned sure that once he had made his intentions clear, _no one_ would think of making any advances on the cook, least of all the members of the Going Merry.

Ussop, after all, had Kaya.

Chopper was… well…

He knew personally that _Robin_ didn't swing that way, and Nami was safe because _Sanji_ didn't swing that way.

And, he was beginning to wonder if one day he wasn't going to have to sit down and have a _very adult_ conversation with his captain.

But all the same…

Zoro looked up in time to watch the thin piece of black silk around Sanji's neck flutter in the mid-day wind. The end of it curling up against his cheek, and rippling softly around his neck. Practically caressing the cook's pale skin.

Zoro narrowed his eyes as the tie gave a final cheeky flutter and came to rest on Sanji's shoulder

It was all Zoro could do to not walk up to the cook and rip the bloody thing off.

Shutting his eyes, in the hopes that feigning sleep would actually bring it, and running his thumb over Wado's hilt, he convinced himself to wait.

After all night would come, the tie was not made of steel…

And the ocean was _so_ very big.


End file.
